Bad Ruling in GA Photo ID Case

by Eric Marshall

Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Harold Murphy ruled in favor of Georgia's voter identification law. By ruling in favor of this harmful law, the integrity of Georgia's election process will be undermined. 

The Georgia law reduces the various forms of identification that voters can use from 17 to 6, and makes state-issued photo identification absolutely required in order to vote. "This ruling creates a price tag to vote that will disproportionately burden Georgia's minority voters, the elderly, the disabled, and students," said Barbara R. Arnwine, Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee.

Georgia is one of nine states covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act which requires the state to demonstrate to the federal government that any change it makes relating to voting will not negatively impact minority voters. In 2005, the Lawyers' Committee harshly criticized the U.S. Department of Justice for failing to fulfill its statutory duty by injecting partisan politics into its decision to approve Georgia's voter ID law.

"We are now considering our next steps in Georgia but will continue to press forward in other states that are imposing unnecessary barriers to full participation in federal and state elections," added Arnwine.

Why yesterday's ruling is a major setback, the fight is far from over.  We will continue to fight discriminatory photo ID laws in state legislatures across the country.